My teaching journey in transformative times

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The second goal of the 30 Goals Challenge is to write about a magical teaching moment. When I started thinking about this goal a rush of many little faces came to mind. The memories did not come in moments but in students. I thought back to all the students who have painted on the canvas of my career, the canvas that captures the beauty of being a teacher. The students are the ones who have made it magical because they are at the heart of the countless special moments.

I think teaching in itself is magical. It is amazing to be there to see the moments of transformation and gained confidence; when struggles are overcome, connections are made, and the realization of “I can!” hits. It is unbelievably special to witness the growth of students and to join in celebrating their successes in spite of what they once believed or didn’t believe, in spite of the odds or the diagnosis, and in spite of the world handing them more than I can ever imagine. This is the magic of teaching.

A small snapshot of a few of the students who have taught me about the magic of teaching:

Claire* was in my Grade 3 classroom and she had Down Syndrome. It was evident that school was certainly not her favourite place. She was withdrawn, disengaged, and she clearly did not feel connected to her classmates nor her learning. I was fearful she was just putting in time coming to school. Claire’s amazing educational assistant and I resolved, “Not good enough. We can do better, we must do better.” Claire taught me the magic of building confidence, becoming an active and contributing member of a community, and aiming high. She called me “Emoo” and I still remember how it felt when her warm hand would reach for mine and she’d look at me and say, “I love you, my Emoo.”

Daniel was a Grade 6 student in my classroom who had seen more in his short life than I could wrap my mind around. He was angry, hurt and headed for trouble. Schoolwork was the furthest thing from his mind, survival was at the forefront. Daniel taught me the magic of being available, nonjudgemental, and taking the time to listen. He showed me that although I could’t fix all the intricacies of his situation (despite staying awake at night desperate to) I could be there for him, believing in him and his future even though he could not. Years later when he was in high school I saw Daniel working at a Tim Horton’s drive-thru. He had a light in his eyes that I always hoped he would find. He was doing great in school, playing on the football team, and above all he was happy. In that moment my eyes filled with tears and my heart filled with hope.

Mark was one of my Grade 4 students. He viewed school as something horrible that was happening to him. Reading and writing were very challenging for Mark and both activities usually resulted in him acting out and being disruptive. Mark definitely did not see himself as a reader nor a writer, and perhaps not even as a learner. He was only 9 years old and he already did not believe in himself. Mark taught me the magic of creating a history of successes no matter how small, and not giving up on someone even when they have given up on themselves. One day as Mark put down his pencil after writing in his journal, he said in utter disbelief, “I wrote this. I actually wrote this myself. I think I am a writer, Miss Emann.”

I always say I have the best job in the world because the moments are second to none and they have all shaped me as a teacher and as a person. I am grateful to my students and the lessons they continue to teach me about life, being human, and the power of navigating this amazing journey together. Magic.

Shelly Terrell, from the Teacher Reboot Camp blog and #Edchat, is so inspiring and motivating! I have long followed her blog and I was excited to learn about the start of another cycle of her 30 Goals Challenge. This week marked the kick off to the 30 Goals Challenge for Educators 2012. The theme for this 3rd cycle is “Dare to Believe”. Shelly has posted an introductory video and in it she explains this year’s theme. The focus of “Dare to Believe” is to help teachers believe they can make changes in their classrooms and communities, and that students are key part of this change as well.

The first challenge is to create a Me Manifesto publicly expressing your principles and intentions, and this will act as a foundation for moving forward.

What do you believe about life? Learning? Teaching?

How do you learn?

What is important to you?

What ideals to you carry in your classroom?

The format for creating your Me Manifesto is wide open—any tool or platform will work. Share your Me Manifestos on your blogs, Twitter or even add a comment to Shelly’s post. Share them with your students and have your students create their own.

I found great value in the reflective process of creating my Me Manifesto. I discovered that my blog has really helped clarify and articulate what is important to me, what I value, and what I am committed to in teaching, learning and education. I created my Me Manifesto using my go-to tool Glogster. Please click the image below to take a peek.

Me Manifesto using Glogster

I’d love to know what you would put in your own Me Manifesto. If you are also participating in the 30 Goals Challenge please let me know. I think it is a fabulous way to inspire blog posts, share with other educators, and focus our sights on believing and bringing about change.